No Rest for the Weary
by PetraKitty
Summary: Life away from home is tough, even with magic. Life as a behaviorally enslaved wizard is even worse! Tales of Harry and friends before the spell broke. **NRftW is a prequel to The Pride's Hatchling. If you have not read any of TPH, reading this story may be difficult. But, it is not required to understand the story. Main fic can be found on my profile.
1. Prologue: The Spell

**Chapter 1: Prologue: The Spell**

*Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein.

* * *

 ** _Monday,_**

Sept. 1, 1991

 **GRYFFINDOR!**

He never knew what awaited him as that fated word fell from the Hat's tattered mouth. The Gryffindors clapped and cheered, hails of "We got Potter!" could be heard, but it was a forced acceptance. Forced by a spell placed on them this very night in the year and years past. Every Gryffindor year 2 through 7 were without fail enslaved to the behavioral traits of their House, and had been for decades now, despite the fact that many of them should never have been there.

What Harry and every other student could not see were the lines of strain around every exuberant student who knew the fate that would befall the newest Gryffs that night. Their bracelets heated as they fought it's compulsions, hating themselves for cheering each name. They knew that in a few short hours, these first years, still innocent of the evil in the world…Soon, they too would know the hell that awaited them their first night inside the Lion's Den.

Bravery. Courage. Daring. Nerve. All of these, along with chivalry were good character traits in moderation, but being forced to go against your own nature, to be constantly short-tempered, reckless and ever rushing into pointless heroics and useless self-sacrifice. That was their fate. To embody all that encompasses the House of Godric Gryffindor, as interpreted by Minerva McGonagall.

Since 1956 when she took over as Head of House Gryffindor, Minerva McGonagall had placed an obscure charm over the Sorting hat. Being of Godric's House, the original creator of the Hat, she was privy to old notes on the Hat's creation, and knew how to circumvent certain sortings. Her charm convinced the hat that any child of a light family, a rich family, or a child with the potential for a large magical core and reserves should be sorted into Gryffindor. There were many students who were so perplexed about their sortings, but accepted it as their nature, but before the night was out they knew what had happened. They knew that they were in the House not of the Brave, but of the Enslaved.

Their pumpkin juice, the only juice served at Feasts, was laced down the entire Gryffindor table, courtesy of the House Elves who knew not what that the "Nutrient Potion" the Gryffindors needed was actually a calming draught laced with a compulsion liquid. The first years regularly needed the calming effects after the excitement of the day, but combined with the compulsion draught, they were helpless to fight the charm McGonagall cast over them until it was set deep into their psyche.

Anytime they were not inside the Lion's Den they would behave like a "True Gryffindor." Inside, the room The Lady Hogwarts herself, was able to shield them from the wort of the bind's compulsions. The castle was just too vast and the ward structure of the castle overloaded with useless wards that took too much strength from her.

Yet, their freedom to act as their true nature willed inside the Den was only a small consolation for their very nature pushed them to spend ample time exploring and finding mischief around the castle and her grounds.

"Welcome to Gryffindor Tower, House of Godric Gryffindor. Seconds through Seventh year students will go to the beds immediately. First years please have a seat as I go over a few House Rules."

The tiny first years watched as the students walked away, and Harry knew something was wrong as he saw silent tears running down the faces of one of the girls as she ran out of the room. He tensed, drawing McGonagall's attention. She raised her wand in one hand and a fiery crystal in the other. In a flash she had them pointing to the them, murmuring, " _moribus e pueri teneantur ad voluntatem meam_!"

The children screamed as pain tore through their bodies in two directions. One flowing out as the crystal pulled a bit of their own magic as well as the latent magic from the castle itself to power the spell. The spell then created a strip of pure energy around each child's left wrist. It stopped just short of burning them, but tears and wails flowed through the room in abundance. One girl blacked out from the shock to her system.

McGonagall pursed her lips in disfavor, sending an _Ennervate_ at the weak child, they were Gryffindor now, and would need to toughen up. Immediately. She watched the students gather themselves, the girls gathering together, sniffling and wiping the tears from their eyes. The boys were rubbing their arms, and-yes, Mr. Potter was glaring death at her his eyes shifting from their Avada Kedavra green to that of jade for an instant. McGonagall cleared her throat, watching every child save one flinch back at the noise. Perfect.

"Again, I welcome you to the Lion's Den. I am Professor McGonagall, your Head of House. From this day forward you will learn what it truly means to be of Godric Gryffindor's Noble Army."

* * *

 **Literal Latin Phrase Translation:** "behavior of the children are bound to my own will"


	2. First Meetings

**First Meetings**

 _*Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters therein_

* * *

 _Harry's Thoughts_

 _"Sshrt"_ is the cue for a negative feedback from the Moribus spell. The band causes it, but it is more like a small taste of static electricity straight to the Frontal Lobe of the brain.

 _ **Thought the entire story take this as your only warning for foul language.**_

* * *

Every first year lion was on edge. The _Moribus_ spell, as the upperclassmen had called it, was still fresh in each of their minds as they waited to be called from the Common Room. Hermione Granger had been called and tested before McGonagall had seemingly lifted her intelligence quota. She hadn't the full abilities she'd had upon entering Hogwarts, but was allowed about 37% more than the rest of them. Or so McGonagall said.

 _Bitch._

The chestnut haired girl refused to say just what the 'test' consisted of, but the upperclassmen told them later that there were some things that you just can't speak of so soon after it happened. She was favoring her left side, so he expected pain with his conference. Harry rolled his head and shoulders to push the tension out.

 _I've withstood worse than that bint can throw at me._

Harry stood in a corner, watching everyone who came through the door and categorizing just how their behaviors differed from what little he'd seen the night before. Granger had lost the polite filter that kept people from sharing more than small talk with an acquaintance. Or any filter at all, for that matter.

Brown lost around 48 IQ points, and gained a habit of hair twirling. He wondered if McGonagall had ordered her to keep an oral fixation going with bubble gum, or if it was just a nervous habit the girl came here with.

The Finnegan boy came back sans eyebrows and a thicker brogue, while the Longbottom heir couldn't walk half a meter before tripping over himself. He also had a different wand, which he said had been his Dad's. Apparently there was a "Pureblood Tradition" of handing down wands, and the bint talked Neville's guardian into following it post-matriculation. His personal wand was being kept "for safe keeping."

Harry watched as the entryway opened and the Patil chit stepped through. He could literally see the attention and focus return to the girl's eyes as she stepped into the Common Room and waved to him that his turn had finally arrived. He shoved away from the wall and left without a word, walking to the office they had all been told to enter. He started to open the door

 _Sshrt_

Then stopped and dutifully knocked after he shook his head to try and shake off the pain. He'd felt worse with his dearest, darling-est Auntie and Uncle and would be damned before he let this bitch

 _Sshrt_

Get to him.

"Enter."

He pushed open the door without a word and assessed the room. One desk, one chair for a student, no windows.

 _No alternate escape route. Damn._

Harry made his way to the chairs in front of the desk the Professor sat at making notations. He stood behind a chair and waited.

Finally, after a minute of this McGonagall looked up with a scowl. "Have a seat, Mr. Potter."

He didn't move. _And give up the only fucking cover in the goddamn room? Right, lady._

 _Sshrt_

"Have a seat, Mr. Potter."

 _Sssssssshrt._

" _Amyctica."_

Harry bit his lip and refused to respond as a small leaf bladed throwing knife embedded itself in his upper arm, the only slightly meaty portion of his body visible from behind the chair.

"Have a seat or I will banish that chair and pin you to the ground beneath my knives, Mr. Potter."

 _Sssshrt_

He moved. Slowly. As he took a seat he moved his arm as little as possible to avoid injury to the artery, but refused to show weakness. He left the knife in his arm and ignored the pain, blocking it from his mind. He watched the munter behind the desk as she shuffled papers before speaking to him once more.

"I am an accommodating woman to those who do as I command. I will not scratch your back as you scratch mine, but being in my favor affords certain privileges. You, Mr. Potter are very powerful and very rich. While I would love to get my hands on either, it seems that our esteemed Headmaster has plans for you. So, you will report to his office thrice a week as I alert you for magical training." She pointed her wand to his other arm. " _Amyctica."_

He hissed at her, but refused to move as she smirked at him. "Had to make it even, dear. Now, as to your modifications. Hmm." She ran a finger down a list. "Yesssss. Must have more recklessness, less self control. Tsk tsk, much too smart for my liking. Conniving little thing you would have been. Hmm, what…else…There. Let's have a 5% decrease in attention span, 17% drop in charisma…and viola! Oh, and definitely a bind on that core! 45% should do."

He watched as she moved her the pointer finger of her left and wrote other things down, but it was the feeling of weakness that hit him that truly drew his attention. He felt…cold. Empty and vulnerable. He glared at the woman to hide his reaction.

"That should be all for your initial governances, Mr. Potter. I trust this," she motioned to his arms. "Will not need to be added to at our next meeting?"

He said nothing.

" _Diffindo."_ She sliced the skin just along his cheek, just letting it part the epidermis. "You will learn respect, or I will beat it into you, boy." Suddenly the knives one at a time dislodged from his flesh and flew into her open hand. "Now answer me!"

Harry stood, saying only, "Ma'am" and walked out the door, not bothering to wipe the blood from his cheek or arms. He didn't flinch as spells flew behind him, barely missing his back as he just walked away. Life on the streets of London had taught him a lot, the first being that showing weakness, any weakness, led to your death. The second being that nothing, not even magic, moved faster and farther than a bullet. He was going to make sure he had defenses prepared as soon as he was able.

As Harry entered the Gryffindor Common Room, ignoring the portrait's inhabitant tsking at his obvious injury along the way, he wondered what the reaction within the Pride would be.

He didn't bother to say anything as he walked in and went straight to his room to write a letter to Heather, forbidding her from ever entering Hogwarts. He never saw the looks of anger and rage, of pity and sympathy, nor the sadness in every lion's eye as he walked through so stoically. They did not know whether to praise his bravery or berate his idiocy in the face of danger.

Many did neither, choosing instead to hold their tongues, bide their time and keep a careful watch on the little lion known as Harry Potter. It wasn't until the fifth year president, Matteo, rose from his arm chair and moved upstairs to the first year dormitories that a collective sigh of relief was felt and heard through the room.

Matteo would take care of their Chosen One.

Harry didn't turn at the soft knock on his dormitory door. _Bad enough I was tricked here, away from my territory, away from my sister, away from the children. Now I'm sharing a room with these berks, and no one cares to let the injured rest in peace?!_

He said nothing, hoping they'd take the hint, but knowing—

 _There it is. The invasion of privacy, part one._

"Potter. You okay?"

 _And Part two! So quickly? And from a new voice._

He refused to answer, opting instead to shed his shirt and pull his muggle first aid kit from his trunk with care. His arms smarted with every move, but he'd suffered worse. It wasn't until the large hand landed on his shoulder that he turned, knocking it back with a thrust of his forearm, a hiss coming from his clenched lips at the motion.

"Whoa, whoa. Easy there Potter. Looks like the Cat got you pretty good. Refused to leave cover, eh?"

Harry only raised a wary eyebrow at the older boy.

"Yea. I did something similar my first year. My magic is very defensive, so when I refused to move she threw one of her blades and my magic deflected it down and into her chair." Seeing the first aid kit moved carefully and slowly to grab the antiseptic wipes, gauze and medical tape. "Pissed her right good, I did." He continued. "She had the chair gone, me pinned and my core bound before I could do more than wonder what the hell'd happened."

As Matteo spoke he slowly worked to bandage Harry's wounds as best he could. He wasn't a medi-teamer, but he knew plenty of field bandaging from his time in the Pride.

"The second meeting's worse if you fight. The best thing to do is acquiesce and join the inner revolution." He chuckled at the un-amused face on the boy in front of him. A face too serious and world weary for one not even in his teen years. "The Cat can't come in here, inside the commons. We go crazy when she does, both on accident and on purpose. The gem she carries makes us wild in such close proximity, but we escalate things a bit in order to keep her out. The portraits inside are covered in charms, so we're safe to be whomever we wish to be in here, including rebels."

Harry just watched the older boy with serious eyes.

"Look kid, I know things have been rough. I know. I've been in your shoes, and they are shitty shoes to have, right?" He laughed at the miniscule nod form the boy. "Just understand this: every time that you see a red tie or a Lion crest on a robe it is your visual affirmation that you are not now nor will you ever be alone. You will never be alone because Gryffindor House stands together. Always. Everything you do from here on out is for the benefit of House Gryffindor, and for the benefit of your Pride. Like it or not you got dealt a shitty, shitty hand, but where you go from here doesn't just effect you, it effects us all."

Matteo fixed the last butterfly bandage over Harry's cheek and closed the first aid kit. He set it on the nearest bed and walked to the door, only stopping when he heard a small, but unwavering voice.

"What's your name?"

He turned back to Harry and smiled. "Just call me Maddie, kid."

* * *

 _Amyctica - Sharp_

* * *

 **Thanks for Reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**

I really hope you like this new piece. I've been writing every day almost with new ideas bursting forth, and I think things are coming along very well. You'll be able to see a good progression here of street Harry to Alpha to our current seventh year!


	3. First Saturday

_*Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters therein_

* * *

 **Saturday,**

 **7 September 1991**

They all left the room near tears, if not in tears. Training, day one with the Deputy Headmistress was as awful as they had been told to expect. The first year Gryffindors had had curses, hexes, spells and weapons thrown at them with the expectation to dodge or die. While their year mates were exploring the castle, doing homework or laying in the grasses outside they were trapped in a torture chamber and made to jump, dodge and evade a terrifying Mistress intent on making them child soldiers.

And for what?

He let his anger and rage seep into his body, creeping through his veins and strengthening his resolve to find a way to kill her. Added to that was his unnerving meeting the day before with their esteemed Headmaster who decided to let him in on a few little secrets: he knew of Harry's abusive home life, knew of McGonagall's training and condoned it all for the sake of honing his own personal assassin. Spoiled little boys with no discipline would never have the wherewithal to defeat Voldemeort, and wasn't it just perfect that Harry was neither rotten nor unscarred by neglect and abuse.

Harry groaned as he dropped onto the couch in the Common Room, separating himself from his classmates. He was sore beyond belief after their first 'training' session with the Head Bitch even though his body was in much better shape than the others'. He was used to manual labor, dodging bobbies and older kids on the streets. Fighting, surviving. But this was harsh even for him.

 _You'd think they'd want their soldiers to come out of training unscathed, but they apparently missed that memo._

He felt a towel cover his head and stopped pulling at his shoes to look up at his friend and upperclassman, Maddie. Harry could see the shaggy black hair his friend liked to rake his fingers through and the deep grey eyes that liked to turn black when his lion came out to play.

Harry nodded his head in thanks for the towel, wiping the sweat away from his brow. He raised his hand as he sensed something else flying towards him and caught the small tin of bruise salve before it hit his ear.

"Nice catch, little lion. How're you holding up?"

Matteo, or Maddie for fun, was Harry's unofficial big brother, protector, mentor...pick a name. He'd seen how the Heads singled him out and had decided to take the boy under his wing...paw... He could feel the power flooding from the boy at times, and while he knew of Harry's unwanted 'claim to fame', he also saw the telltale signs of a less than pampered lifestyle.

"'M okay, I guess. Today wasn't so bad. She just threw spells and knives at us and worked on dodging. Thomas got mad when she hit Finnegan with a cutting curse to the arm. He tried to punch her, so she hit his with this nasty red spell and he was in a lot of pain. Screaming." Harry frowned and scowled as he described the training session. "One of the healer lions came for him when we got back. Like they knew it was going to happen. Is this going to be common place, Maddie?"

Matteo sighed and moved to sit on the couch next to the boy, not speaking for some time as he watched his year mates tend to the other wee ones. Finally, before Maddie could figure out what to say Harry just covered his head with the towel and sighed.

"Right. I understand. Can you just tell me what it is?"

Maddie looked at the boy with confusion until he simply said, "The red spell."

"It's called the Cruciatus Curse. It's classed as an Unforgivable Curse because casting it on someone is just that-Unforgivable. It causes unfathomable pain and suffering as well as nerve damage. It's a torture method."

Harry thought about that for a moment. "Are...are there other Unforgivables they're going to use on us?"

"There are two other spells labelled Unforgivable. The mind control spell, Imperius, which they will use on us when they need a job done that is semi-illegal or some such rot. Luckily they wait until our fragile bodies are matured, AKA after we graduate and are in jobs they need filled."

Harry nodded solemnly, eyes distant in thought before he quietly, timidly whispered, "And the last?" He had a feeling he knew what this would be, but didn't want to hear it.

"The killing curse," Matteo said in a dead voice, unable to look Harry in the face. "A green spell that causes an instant separation of the soul from the body, causing death. It's a spell no one has ever survived…save you, little lion."

Harry frowned, his hand going to his forehead and scar as Maddie nodded, telling him that his assumption was correct. "All you walked away with was a scar, two dead parents and a missing Dark Lord, kid, and no one has a clue as to how you did it." Feeling awkward at the dark turn the conversation had taken Maddie stood and grabbed the bruise salve from the couch.

"C'mon. If we wait much longer to rub down your muscles you're going to get sore and you'll suffer more tomorrow. Get ready to strip to your skivvies, little lion, you're getting your first massage."

Harry stared curiously after the older boy, but followed. He wondered for a few seconds if this was something all the older kids did, but wasn't sure either way after looking around the room. He could see each of the first years sitting with an older student, save Thomas who was probably in the Healing Rooms. He wondered, suspiciously, why Maddie was doing this for him, and resolved to stay alert until he could figure out how to get free and get out of this godsforsaken castle.

As he followed the older boy into the side room where legitimate massage tables were located he decided not to fight. He stripped down, heedless of his appearance or the scars littering his body and climbed up, laying face down on the table at Matteo's direction.

Matteo said nothing about his appearance, simply unscrewed the lid and set a warming charm on it as he coated his hands and began rubbing the tension from the younger boy's muscles and tendons.

"Maddie?"

"Yes, little lion?"

"I was wondering something."

"Okay?"

"How do you and the others get away with anything outside of the Den? I noticed those twins like to play pranks, but how?"

Maddie grinned as he tackled a tough knot. It seemed they may have another prankster on their roster. "Aah. That, dear wee one is the first loophole of our cursed existence!" Harry could hear the bitter smile in his voice. "What traits have you picked up as "essential Gryffindor" characteristics?"

Harry thought about it for a moment. "Brave. Thoughtless. Reckless. Courageous. Straight forward. Glory seekers. Holier than thou?"

He laughed. "Very good. Yes, any of those are good traits to keep in mind. You see, McCatFace wants to have the perfect Gryffindor army, so she cast the _Moribus._ Her intent is for us to be molded by an overarching theme of "Gryffindor" tendencies. But, one man's brave is another man's careless. So, if you can convince yourself that whatever you want to do, be it insulting Snape, playing a joke, pranking a teacher, saving the princess, as long as you believe you are being a "true Gryffindor" in the process, the spell won't stop you. Play with your though process and how you label things in your mind and you'll be set."

Harry thought on this, a small moan breaking through his lips as a spot under his left shoulder blade was tackled. "So…if I wanted to…Mmmm. If I wanted to leave the Den after curfew, all I would need to do is convince myself I'm being super brave to explore such a dark place at night and I won't get zapped?"

"That's the ticket, little lion. You sure the Head Bitch didn't forget to zap your intelligence a couple notches?"

Harry laughed at that and shook his head. "I catch on quick. Kind of have to where I'm from…" He trailed off then, afraid to say more and just enjoying the feeling of his muscles loosening with each pass of Maddie's fingers.

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 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Finding Home

**Finding Home**

 **Hogwarts Express**

 **London**

 **1992**

* * *

It's amazing what behavioral modification and killing a man can do for one's self esteem. That isn't to say one hurt more than the other, but at the moment Harry felt very, very small. He'd killed before, yes, but never on purpose. Self-defense or not, he'd killed a man and come face to face with the wraith who plagued his life so.

Feeling the gentle swaying of the train slowly rolling to a stop Harry got to his feet with the others in his cabin and began to pull his trunk from the shelf above their heads. He pulled Hermione's down as well since it was next to his. He was still slightly wary of his year mates, as it wasn't in his nature to trust anyone…but he did _tolerate_ most of them more openly than then at the beginning of the year. He supposed that he was friendly with them.

 _Not strangling them counts for something, right?_

As the train slowed to a stop the little lions made their way to the platform. They all immediately sought out their parents while harry just tried to quietly disappear. He was almost successful until he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Maddie. Come to say goodbye?" He asked the black haired boy. He could see a man and woman behind him. The man had red hair and brown eyes with a very tall, stocky build with Matteo shared while the woman looked like his friend in the face. Petite, with straight black hair and warm, grey eyes.

The older boy shook his head with a scoff. "No. Came to tell you that you're coming with me. I asked my parents, and they said it was fine. If you need _anything_ a ride or a place to stay we'll give it." He knew something was not right about Harry's family life, and didn't want to presume, but he knew he had to be blunt with the boy. Harry didn't do well with charity. "Consider it a thank you for your help," he said subtly, throwing in a wink where his parents couldn't see.

Harry deliberated, not sure of what to do. He did need a ride to the new orphanage, but he didn't want to impose. He patted his pockets and, with a flash of realization, was thankful for Maddie's forethought. He didn't have any muggle money on him.

 _And what a disaster that could have been._

"Um…sure. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Dare. I really appreciate the offer of a ride." And he did. Heather had owled him through out the year about the house she'd bought. It took some wheeling and dealing and just a hint of magic to get the realtor to let her pay for a house up front and have utilities turned on…but magic is a wonderful thing for those who know how to sneakily use it.

With that they four moved to the Dares' car and loaded the heavy trunks in the boot. Lynette Dare was muggleborn and had demanded they keep a car handy for day-to-day travel around London. Soon, they were off, and Harry worried the hem of his shirt as he wondered how he would explain living in a house with a dozen or so kids. It shouldn't surprise them, since he was an orphan, but Harry had also learned that everyone believed him to be living with a magical family. He'd put those rumors to rest quickly, claiming to those around him that he'd been placed with his Mother's muggle family and stopping there.

No one needed to know about his past, nor about his life. He wasn't comfortable sharing that yet, it was something only Heather knew and only because she'd lived it with him. He worried about her too, still working on a way to keep her from enrolling in Gryffin-

 _Sshrt_

-dor.

 _Dammit. It works outside too._

Harry settled his head back against the seat as the Dares asked Maddie about his year. He was wondering just how this summer was going to go with the spell's limitations in place when he felt a touch to his forearm.

Looking down Harry saw a notebook on the seat between him and Maddie. His eyebrows furrowed and in his peripheral vision he could see Maddie's hand flip over. He opened the book and read the words on the first page with a small smile.

 _Little lion,_

 _The summer after first year is the worst. Figuring out what to do, what to say without getting zapped. After my first year an older student gave me a two-way notebook so I would always be able to ask her questions. She later became my mentor, my protector and my confidante._

 _I want to give you the same. If you write to me I will answer. Doesn't matter when or what about. The summer will be difficult navigating where your restrictions lie, but you'll learn. Just put on a smile and talk about the good things, your classes and make your stories repetitive so they stop asking._

 _If you need anything, tell me. I will do whatever I can to help you. Consider me the big brother you never wanted! Just kidding. I'll be whatever you need me to be. We'll get through, little lion. This, I promise you._

 _All you have to do is turn the page and write to me. It will show up in your handwriting on my notebook, and my replies will show up on yours. If you have a message incoming your notebook with give a little shiver then go still._

 _It will never run out of pages, and you can write with whatever you have, no quills necessary._

 _Write to me. Let me know you're okay, that you have enough to eat and a warm place to sleep. I know we don't talk about your home life, but that was before you had somewhere to go. You can always come to me, little lion._

 _If you aren't comfortable after all this, just send me a message every now and again so I know you aren't dead. You know I'll worry and come track you down otherwise._

 _Stay safe, stay well._

 _Your friend,_

 _Maddie_

Harry looked up at the older boy with searching eyes. What he was looking for even Harry wasn't quite sure, but he saw nothing but sincerity and pleading puppy dog eyes.

"No pity?" He asked and Matteo shook his head.

"None."

"I have a place to live now. Before, I didn't, but I do now. I used the money in my trust to secure something when I finally got access to it. My…friend is running the day-to-day things now that I'm tra—

 _Sshrt_

"-aipsing back and forth between London and Hogwarts." He saved himself. The adults didn't and couldn't know he felt trapped in the Scottish castle. There would be too many questions.

 _And gods know questions like that will never lead anywhere good._

Harry could remember the pain of trying to write to Heather forbidding her from accepting her impending Hogwarts letter, trying to explain why he was so against it. But he couldn't do it. Every time he got near the spell's secret he was in unfathomable pain. It crashed down his arm as well as electrifying his mind.

So he'd said nothing.

Yet.

He didn't want to upset his little sister, but to protect her? He'd do anything.

Harry shook his head and looked at the older boy as he waited. Slowly, he took the notebook and slid it closer, tucking it under his leg with a soft, "Thank you. I'll try to remember to write…"

Harry watched as the building Heather had described to him came into view. It was a long brick house, with little blue shutters on either side of each blind covered window. The grass was clean kept and the driveway carless. He watched as a section of the blinds was lifted, and he could imagine one lone eye tracking their progress.

As Mr. Dare parked the car Harry watched his friends and family flood out to see and greet him, uncaring of their audience. He hugged each little body that collided with his tight before moving to the next. Finally, after what felt like hours, he held their littlest orphan and looked around for his sister.

He saw her standing on the porch, a new addition behind her legs peeking out. Her long, auburn hair moved with the breeze and swirled in the air. He could see her sweater and jeans was new, not the ugly natty things she'd worn before he left and her smile lit up her face. With one move Harry shifted his charge to the side and strode to his sister, lifting her in his toned arms as he spun. All those watching giggled as they heard Heather's gasp and scream of joy then trepidation at the hug and acrobatics.

"Harry James! Aah! You put me down right now you oaf! You're going to drop me!" She yelled happily, knowing he never would, but unable to stop her exclamation.

Harry just laughed, making her smile as he set her down. "You'd have to weigh more than air to drop you, sister dear." He joked softly before looking around her to the quiet child. "Well, hello dearness. Who might you be?"

The girl looked frightfully from Heather to Harry before Heather knelt behind her and gave her a hug and a nudge. "It's okay. That's Harry. We all told you about him, remember? Can you say your name like we practiced?"

The girl nodded and pointed to her chest before saying in a tiny, squeaky voice, "Kissa."

"Clah-rissa," Heather corrected.

"Cuh-issa."

"Very good, sweet heart."

Harry smiled encouragingly, "That was very good. My name's Harry. Do you know how old you are?" He asked, keeping Heather in his peripheral vision.

Clarissa held up two fingers, turning her hand to look at it. "Dis manies."

Harry gave a great gasp. "That many?! Already? You're such a big girl! I thought you were that manies!" He held up three fingers as the little child giggled.

Harry, being so wrapped up in his family, gave a slight start when he heard the familiar clearing of a throat from behind him.

Without giving away anything on his face, Harry turned and gave Maddie and his parents an appraising look. He moved towards them, touching their arms in turn. "Mr. And Mrs. Dare, Matteo. Thank you for the ride, but I really must be going in now. Our... foster parents will be home at any moment, I'm sure." He used what bit of his magic he could to try and sway the muggles into believing him. It didn't matter to him if Maddie believed or not, just as long as he kept his secret as he had done so often this past year.

He watched as the eyes of the adults just barely glazed over and they agreed with out question.

"Yes, of course," Mr. Dare said.

"Wouldn't want to impose," his wife agreed.

Harry could see Matteo's suspicious glance at his parents then felt that gaze return to him. He gave him a soft headshake, asking for his understanding with his eyes.

Finally, after a bit of gaze locking Matteo turned to his parents with a jubilant and just slightly manipulative smile. "Well, can't stay too long! How about a night out for dinner, Mum!"

His grin got wider as she easily replied with an, "Of course sweetheart."

Matteo gave the notebook, the one that had been dropped in the rush of embracing earlier, a long look before saying, "Keep in touch, Harry. I'll be by to talk."

Harry only nodded in agreement to his mentor as he lifted one of his little ones up and onto his hip. "Come by tomorrow. We'll make lunch and introduce you, but for now I have some hatchlings to take care of," he finished, using the pride's word for innocent young children and babies who had had a rough start.

Just as animals born through eggs had had to fight through their environment to find success in life, so had these children. Some were orphaned, others abandoned, but each of them was special to Heather and Harry, regardless of their magical status. He counted three squibs, two witches, one wizard and 4 muggle children among his family, not counting himself nor Heather. Twelve in his family in all, and none missing since he'd left; he counted that as a blessing.

As the Dare family left, Harry and Heather shoo'd all of the younger ones into the house. Everyone spoke at once, wanting to tell Harry about each of their favorite rooms, and show him the new house.

It wasn't an overly large home, but it was well lived in. Toys and their buckets were strewn across the floor, blankets piled in corners as they liked to do in the abandoned warehouses they'd haunted before last August. Three of the four bedrooms in the house had two bunk beds, each with a different color blanket neatly tucked in on top. The last room had two twin beds and a toddler cot that looked fairly new. One bed looked very new and Harry set his trunk beside it, assuming it was his bed since it also held sheets in his favorite color-navy blue.

He transferred Kellan, the tawny headed child he had been carrying on his hip, to his lap as he sat on the bed.

 _I've never had my own bed..._

Sure, the one in the Gryffindor dorms was his to use during the year, but it wasn't HIS. He'd owned very little in his almost twelve years, and a bed, a real bed, was not one of them.

 _Until now._

With a few more blinks than normal and a couple of deeper breaths than he normally took, Harry calmed his chaotic thoughts and emotions. It would not do to let them control him, and definitely not in front of a little one. He ran a soothing hand over Kellan's back as the little boy snuffled against his neck. He was three now, and one of the hardest of all the children Harry had had to leave when he left for the damned-

 _Sshrt_

Castle. He tried to stifled the flinch with a rocking motion forward then back as he soothed the toddler in his arms. Kellan wasn't a crier, but Harry was one of the only people he trusted after his parents abandoned him. His leaving had set the child back pretty badly, and after the awful shit-

 _Sshrt_

That had happened to him the year he was regretting having ever gone with Hagrid.

 _Yea, Dumbledore's the greatest wizard alive my_

 _Sshrt_

 _Ass... MY ASS._

 _Ssssssshrt_

He growled softly, refusing to let the spell overrun his thoughts. It may control his behaviors, but Harry refused to allow it change his thought patterns, crude though they may be. He knew he had a 'potty mouth' and wasn't it so ironic that his nemesis called him potty on a constant basis with that in mind. However, Harry refused to curse in front any younglings. If any of the orphans or street children brought to them had foul language they were told to keep it to themselves until age six. At that point they could use any language they wanted in the same aged company or higher.

It was rare for them to have two children as young as Clarissa and Kellan, but such was life and the despicable and selfish nature of human adults.

After a time, when Harry was sure that Kellan was asleep, he laid the boy in the toddler cot and dimmed the lights. He went and made sure all of the young children were asleep in their beds, tucking blankets here and there as needed. Once he'd finished he went in search of Heather, finding her at the table with a plate of food and a primer.

"Hey sis. Whatcha got there?"

Heather turned, showing the book and food. "Shepherd's pie that Maryellen made. I've been trying to teach her to run the house for when we're both gone to school, ya know?"

Harry knew. He knew Heather was trying her damnedest to raise her reading skills in order to do well at Hogwarts, that she was trying to find someone to take care of her family and teach their charges to be more self sufficient...but the reminder of it was enough to set him off. With a huff he moved back from the table, his chair falling in the process as he stormed out of the house.

 _Air. I just need fresh air._

He heard her call his name, but couldn't…he could not handle the reminder so soon after escaping

 _Sshrt_

The hell she was sure to join him in in a scant few months.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

Here is the latest glimpse into No Rest for the Weary! I hope you are all enjoying yourselves.

 **Next up** (but subject to change) **is the Chamber of Secrets and how Harry became Alpha.**


	5. Inside the Chamber of Secrets

**Inside the Chamber of Secrets**

 **1993**

* * *

 ***Warning for foul language. I've edited out the f-words, anything else is loud and proud.**

* * *

He was tired.

That's all that went through his head.

Well, that and his arm really hurt.

But mostly, he was tired.

As he knelt on the floor of the Chamber, pants wet and slick with the putrid water covering the floor all he could think was that this was where he would die…and he was okay with that. Mostly.

It was a mostly kind of day.

He'd mostly followed the rules, mostly killed the beast unscathed, mostly saved the princess, mostly kept his thoughts off the poison running through his veins…and now he'd mostly be okay with dying…

 _Sshrt_

 _Except, dying of injuries sustained killing a godsforsaken giant gaze-killing behemoth of a scaled beast wasn't brave or reckless enough for Minerva McGonagall and her damned crystal torture device!_

Harry mentally panted at the long windedness of his own thoughts and his chest heaved with his deep breaths as he realized just what a toll the anger had on his failing body.

And now Harry had something else to contend with. Voldemort was getting stronger and that just wouldn't do for _Moribus_.

Pulling his pierced arm to his chest Harry pushed his good hand against his knee and tried to push to his feet. He stumbled, and it was then he felt the warmth spilling through his icy, shivering limbs.

He heard a squawk from above and watched, entranced as the flame colored bird flew circles around the humans and finally landed beside the wounded warrior. Amazed, Harry reached out with his bad hand as his good one kept him upright. "Fawkes? What-?" He hissed as the phoenix lifted a leg and pushed his arm down. He let him, and watched in awe as the bird began crying over the black, necrotic flesh on his arm surrounding the Basilisk fang hole. He watched his veins, black with fatal poison recede to their healthy, blood-filled color and the color return to his grey skin. He felt the adrenaline, formerly pumping to keep him alive, now pumping to encourage him on.

As Fawkes trilled at him he rose to his feet, watching as Ginny began to appear as stony grey as he had just seconds ago. With a calming breath Harry opened his jade eyes and felt the growl emanating from him throat.

"Oh! You're one of _their's_ aren't you? McGonagall's Noble Army!" Riddle laughed in excited glee. "How does it feel to know you are just as disgusting as my Death Eaters that you so loathe? Just a pawn in your better's plans. A PAWN! Harry Potter. And here I thought so much better of you than to succumb to that weaklings petty jewelry!"

As he spoke Harry crouched and moved around the area where the Basilisk lay dead. He stopped and, very carefully, lifted the discarded fang from the ground. He snarled at being called a pawn, but let the madman continue in his mandatory villain spiel.

"What? Cat got your tongue, Potter? Poor little boy. No one loves you, do they? No parents, _dumped_ on the streets to die. Sounds familiar to me, you know. The same thing happened to me. But look where we are Potter!"

Harry inched steadily closer to Ginny and the diary.

"Here we are. I, Lord Voldemort, immortal Lord of the Dark! And you, puny Potter of the Light's slave militia. Oh how the mighty have fallen…I wonder what Dumbledore has to say about it? Hmm. Did you go to him? Ask for help? Oh that's rich! You did! Ha! Did he tell you about me yet, begin training you to kill me?"

"No."

"Liar. He has. I can see it in your mind, feeble child. Has he told you about the 'training' he gave me? The hours of torture all in the name of Magical Instruction! All for the sake of a prophecy he said only I could fulfill. Damn him. _HE_ made me! This! You can thank Albus Dumbledore when you hear of the horrors of Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter. But that foolish man will be the least of your worries."

"No." He rumbled again. Steps. He was only a few steps away from the girl. He just needed a chance to escape with the girl! Seeing his chance, he dove forward towards Ginny's petite body

 _Ssssshrt_

He tucked his head and legs in and rolled along beside her body, grabbing the book as he went.

"He shall be the least of _your_ worries." And with that he slowly, forcefully pushed the fang into the diary, like a dull knife into an enemy's back. "You underestimated me, puny snake, and _that_ will be your downfall."

"Nooo!" The lion looked up and watched the bright figure of Tom begin to fade in places as he pushed himself toward Harry. He didn't move quickly, as if moving through deep waters.

Pushing one last time to cleave through the paper, he watched as the light in Tom flared once before dissipating with a startling scream.

The Chamber flared before going out completely, leaving the Chamber lit by one far sconce. Slowly, and torturously Harry came back to himself and, realizing he had no wand, crawled around the disgusting Chamber floor until finally his finger wrapped around the stem of his wand.

" _Lumos."_

Harry could feel powerful magics surrounding him in the odd room and with a reckless air he threw the tip of his wand toward the sconces and simultaneous said " _incendio."_ With wide eyes looking through cracked glass he watched the sconces throughout the room light once again.

With what was left of his strength, Harry moved to the unconscious girl lying on the floor. Ginny. His best mate's little sister, and his own little sister's friend. With trembling fingers he put his fingertips to her neck and felt for a pulse.

 _Dum. . . Da-Dum. . ._

Slow, but there. He sighed in relief and took a look around the room.

 _So I saved the princess only to die_

 _Sshrt_

 _In the castle sewer. Too bad I don't have parchment to write the tale down first…Damn._

With one final look around the room he spotted Fawkes hopping to him, the sword of Gryffindor in his beak. It was a funny picture to see out of the blue, but Harry was just too tired to do more than stare. "…Fawkes? Any way you know how to get us back to the Den?"

The phoenix tilted his head at the human and just huffed as if to say, "Your faith in magic is lacking young man." Harry reached out a hand again and pet him in apology. With one motion the bird pushed off from the ground he gave Ginny and the Sword a significant look before lowering his right leg.

Harry immediately understood, but only grabbed Ginny, wrapping his arm around her chest beneath each arm. But as he reached for Fawkes he pulled the leg out of reach and looked again to the sword before lowering himself and nudged Harry's head toward the blade with his own.

"I don't want it, Fawkes! Stop! Just take Ginny and me and let's leave! Please. She…she needs help and I can't do it! Please Fawkes!" He pleaded, but the phoenix just kept out of reach, staring him down.

Finally, Harry gave it a thought and stripped his robe off. He wrapped the blade in the cloth and grabbed Ginny, holding her to his chest and the sword against her back. He felt Fawkes fly behind him before grabbing him by his shirt and, seemingly without care, lifting both humans into the air and flew away.

He later wondered how Fawkes knew to go pick up Ron, but didn't question it at that moment. Harry felt the red head's arms around his waist and endured for the sake of escaping, curious how Fawkes would fly them all out of the angled tunnel while they hung from each other...

* * *

Without warning Harry saw flames begin to flare around him, but he wasn't hot. He felt squeezed and it was very dark, but within seconds his vision cleared and he realized he was in the hall outside the Den. Just like that.

"What? Fawkes, did you just flash us?"

Fawkes gently set his human cargo down to the stone and released them, before giving one final, regal head bow and flashing away again. Alone.

Silence echoed in the hall, deserted of everyone as the lock down on the school continued.

 _Sshrt_

Harry jerked and spit the password out to the Fat Lady, not even realizing that she was opening before he spoke. Slowly Harry lifted Ginny and braced her mostly against his shoulder, sword held in the other hand by the handle as the cloth fell, cut to strips beneath the sharp Goblin Steel. He used it to brace himself as he awkwardly shuffled into the entryway before walking slowly into the Den.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light within he set Ginny down on a plush rug and knelt beside her, checking her pulse again. _Faster this time, but still not where it should be, I think._

Harry stood as his gaze swept the room, not comprehending what he saw. There before him in the magically expanded room was the entirety of House Gryffindor's current student body.

They were in the middle of a Council meeting, discussing the events of the night and their two missing members just as the portrait door swung open. Every student was in attendance, sitting in his or her own year sections. He saw them all standing in front of their chairs as he rose from beside Ginny's prone body.

As their gazes met they all took a knee before him, heads bowed in deference. He watched, his jade eyes flickering back and forth between his emerald as the gravity of the situation hit him all at once.

 _No. No. No. No. NO!_

"Get up. Stop it. GET UP! No. I refuse. I REFUSE do you hear me?! No. I can't _do_ this! I won't. I can't. I c-can't. Please." He fell to his knees, sword clattering as it hit the ground, almost drowning out his whispered plea. "Please don't ask this of me…"

The new Alpha, chosen only two weeks before in preparation for the coming summer break, Matteo Dare, rose and walked through the crowd before once more kneeling beside him. "Harry," he called, trying to get and keep the boy's attention.

"Please, Maddie. No. I can't _do_ this. It's too much," his young voice broke as he stared into his mentor's eyes—his own Alpha's eyes.

"Harry," he rumbled, voice brooking no argument. " _You_ are our _King. Our Alpha._ The sword of Gryffindor chose you, above all others, little lion." He wiped the tears from the small boy's cheeks with his thumb before sliding his hands beneath Harry's armpits. He pushed, lifting the almost teen to his feet while remaining kneeling. "You must. You will. You are. Our Alpha." He grabbed the forgotten sword and offered it in both hands above his bowed head.

With that the House of Gryffindor spoke the words, all sealing their in-House oath of fealty to the standing Alpha.

Taking a deep breath to steady his shaking body he reached forward and grabbed the hilt of the sword and lifted it above his head with trembling hands and a steady resolve.

"For Gryffindor. For the Pride."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's the one that started No Rest for the Weary for me, and I've been battling myself on posting it, but I wanted it up because parts of it are pertinent to TPH, so here it is!**


	6. Returning Alpha

**Returning Alpha**

 **November 1993**

* * *

Harry took a look around the room with a new perspective. Being Alpha of the Pride was not as difficult for him as he expected considering his age. Younger and older students alike accepted him. There was little resentment from his pride, and what was there would have been there for any Alpha but themselves, so he did not let it get to him. Running the Pride was a lot like running the street kids and the shelters as he had this summer.

In both cases it was easier with Matteo by his side as his second. His mentor had been groomed as year president to take the Alpha role his last year, as had been done since the Pride's inception. Now he was using his time with Maddie to get himself groomed. There was a lot of unexpected shifting in his own year as well as the Vice President moved up and the roles left vacant were filled.

This, their third year, was also the year that weapons training began and specialized teams were formed, so many of his year were trying to soul search now that they had new opportunities.

Harry knew that Mya was determined to join the spell crafter team this year. Seamus and Dean were working on their bond and he thought that Ron was working on mental and physical strength training. He had promised Harry that he would be ready to take second-in-command by the time Matteo graduated. The others were working to fill the needed roles.

Harry watched the-his-first years interact with their sixth year mentors. He knew how much his own mentor had helped get him through the first few days in hell, and wanted others to share in it so he made it a formal mentorship, not just a helping hand from an upperclassman.

As he got lost in his thoughts Harry never noticed the pair of eyes watching him steadily. It wasn't until he heard yelling and snarling from the corner of the room that Harry came back to himself. He looked around until he saw the cause of the commotion.

Hermione and Ron were in each other's faces, snarling and bowing up in their anger and annoyance. Their eyes were glowing and shifting shapes and as they watched the two shifted. Slowly their human forms bent and molded to that of a little lioness and a medium sized tiger. Before he could move himself he watched as the animagus experts of the upper classes moved into place.

Harry felt more than saw the figure move into place behind him. "You have to trust your Pride, Harry. Not every problem is yours to solve." He heard whispered in his ear and shivered at the silky quality of the voice.

 _Damn hormones._

"That is the first, longest and hardest lesson to let sink in, little lion."

Harry turned and looked oddly at the man he knew as his mentor and protector. He thought he was reading into the words the boy spoke, but as he turned and saw the mischief in Matteo's eyes he felt an answering annoyance in his own blood. He knew his body was changing, new desires forming, but he was tired of his thoughts and body being over run by hormones!

 _It's embarrassing!_

He could see the laughter in his friend's eyes and hit his arm lightly. "Don't tease, Maddie. You know how weird these hormones are." He looked up between his lashes. "Do...do you think it's going to happen soon? The change." He nodded towards the cubs being wrangled into the Animagus training room.

"On it's own time, little Alpha." He said, and he was the only one allowed to call him that. "Your formative years were not the best and you will probably see a delay in the change because of it. I know we've been able to get you caught up in terms of height and weight with your year mates, but there's no helping hormones. If you're feeling as...stimulated as you seem it can be a good sign that things are moving in the right direction."

Harry gave a great, heaving sigh and turned to lean his back against the older boy's chest as he had done many times over the years.

"That's what I'm afraid of, Maddie. When do things ever _truly_ go in the right direction for me?"

As it turns out things went in the best direction possible with the worst possible timing.

 _The Fates really do think shit of me these days...well, more every day._

Harry was wandering the castle one night when the change finally took place. He could feel a pressure building inside of him, but sometimes he thought it was more because of his rising sexual frustrations that anything else.

As it happened, Harry was wandering alone on the top of the Astronomy Tower when the pressure became too much. The dark entity rose from within him, pushing and pressing against his consciousness. He fought, snarling and shaking his head to clear the pressure fighting for control until the blackness took him over...

It could feel the hairs on the back of its neck rise and turned, wand drawn before it could see a man standing and watching. It knew the man was familiar but the yelling from within his mind was pushing too hard to follow the line of thought.

Their gazes meeting was almost tangible, heated as they were, and it stalked forward.

The eyes gave it away.

No longer were they the shifting hues of emerald and Killing Curse green, but instead a glowing, commanding jade. The pupils were slit like those of a cat, and upon seeing this Matteo knelt, one knee hitting the hard stone and head bowing in deference.

"My Alpha."

Harry smiled slowly, his lion becoming acquainted with the full control it now had. "Beta." He said in Harry's voice with just a rumbling hint of power behind it. "Rise."

Matteo rose and came to Harry, wondering just how long it would be before his Harry came back to himself. He knew this could happen, remembered his own lion doing something similar. Everyone playing host and inviting or coaxing their Animagus forms forward found that a few qualities or characteristics of the animal would imprint upon the host. Dog animagi tended to be playful and loyal, peacocks vain, birds were flighty and claustrophobic.

However, when one has their Animagus form forced into them they were liable to be taken over by the new influx of traits that may not have been typical of them before. The will animal take on a separate identity until the host is successful in merging the two personalities.

Matteo stooped a bit before the boy and rubbed their cheeks together in a show of affection and deference. It was met with a rumble of acceptance before Maddie followed the lion to a corner to sit.

"Tell me," the lion began. "How do I fix this...disconnect I feel. The human is yelling. He wishes to return, but I will not be silenced, Beta." Jade eyes met his and he shivered.

"I give you my promise, Alpha. First, I need you to close your eyes and focus on my voice. Let everything drop away from your consciousness. I want you to expand yourself, fill your entire body with awareness.

"Feel the tips of your fingers and the flexing of toes, the weight of your pants and how cold it is out here. Fill your body with awareness." He paused, waiting until the lion nodded. He rubbed his fingers against his pants to ward against the chilly air. He did not want to risk upsetting his Alpha with magic just now.

"Now, I want you to pull back. Let your mind leave the extremities, leave your legs and arms, leave your hips and torso, chest and neck. Focus on your head, your brain, your mind. Focus internally and find those walls. Find the secrets within. Do you see him? Your human?

"Touch him. Let him know that you and he are one. Alphas of one body, one Pride. You can not be separate and thrive. One without the other will never lead our Den. Welcome him in, my Alpha. Show your human that merging is an option and something he must do to survive the coming years."

He spoke in a low, soft voice,letting rumbles of approval roll around his throat as he watched Harry's fingers twitch, his eyebrows furrow. A sure sign of the dominant brings warring for control.

"Neither shall be above the other, for you are one being. One entity. _Alpha_."

As he spoke the last word Harry's eyes opened once more. The slit pupils were gone, but the jade color remained.

"Welcome back, little lion."

* * *

"But Maddie, I don't understand!"

Harry paced the floor of Maddie's room while Maddie simply watched from his bed, a book in his lap but forgotten.

"What is you do not comprehend, little lion?"

Harry growled. "How I have my animagus, but no form?! I have the lion, we are one, but I have not changed! Am I just so fucked up so broken that-"

" _Stop_ ," came the fierce growl.

Harry looked over at the sound and met glowing eyes. Gray, and lit like a lightning storm, or the clouds that warn you of dangerous weather.

Harry paused in his pacing, letting the new emotions wash over him as Maddie had been teaching him to do. With the merging of his lion had come a veritable feast of new emotions that Harry had never felt before. He didn't have time for emotions when his and his charge's lives were at stake. It was steal or starve, find shelter or freeze, fight or die. Easy choices to make.

Now, he was worried, for it took quite a bit to rile his even tempered friend to the point that his lion showed through. However, his own lion rose at the perceived challenge. His eyes brightened, and a growl rose from both throats before Maddie backed down.

"Shush, little lion. I meant nothing but an anger over hearing you speak of my alpha in such a manner," Matteo finally said.

Harry shook his head and took back his control, moving to the bed and flopping onto it. He crawled forward and laid his head on Maddie's knee, letting himself be vulnerable for just a moment.

"You don't think I'm broken, do you Maddie?" He whispered.

Maddie simply carded his fingers in the younger boy's hair and sighed.

"No. You are not broken. The malnutrition and general abuse you suffered with those people and on the streets during peak developmental years has left its mark not only in our stature and physique, but also in how much time it will take your body to realize you are developmentally ready to begin the change into adulthood. Your brain will not flood you with more hormones to stretch and lengthen bone, grow body hair or anything else when it feels unstable already. You've had a little over two years of proper food with good nutritional value while your classmates have had 12 or more."

Maddie moved to lay down, pulling Harry into his arms and turning so they were lying chest to back. Maddie encircled the boy with his long arms, trying for comforting more than restraining.

"We will talk to the healers about nutritional potions you can take. I know you've turned them down in the past," he chuckled, thinking of the time Harry threw the potion into the fire rather than take it his first week here. He sobered as he also saw the prominent ribs the boy had sported when he first arrived.

"Now, you need the potions, and have the drive to take them not only for yourself, but for that feisty sister of yours."

Harry sighed, and nodded. He hated to rely on potions. To accept that he was not as unfazed, unaffected by his past and his childhood as he wanted others to believe. But Matteo knew. He and Heather knew best, one for living it with him, another for seeing firsthand and living it over the summer.

"Sometimes being Alpha means leading by example. I've noticed some of our yearlings have problems keeping enough food on their plates. Have you?"

"Mm," Harry replied. "Stevens, Hark and Billings. They've all got check ups on a weekly basis. I already spoke to Heather since she brought it to my attention, and Heather took them to the Healing Rooms. It's nice to have access to one and access to healer apprentices here."

Harry yawned widely, the gamut of emotions spent that day taking it out of him. "We need stuff like that for the shelters some days," he mumbled. "Wish we could just stick 'em in an empty classroom and keep the hatchlings close. Keep them protected and hidden. Always."

 _Hidden._

"Hidden. Hidden. Maybe we can," Matteo said with a grin as his mental wand lit with a _lumos._ "Who knows where to find the Chamber of Secrets outside of Gryffindor?"

Harry thought about it for moment. "Fawkes. He rescued me. But otherwise, no one. Dumbledore my suspect, but he can't get it. I changed the password when we spent all summer traipsing in and out to harvest the Basilisk just in case."

Matteo could see possibilities lining up and settling into place. "What if we made a new Shelter here? One for the magical children here inside the school where we don't have to worry about their accidental magic setting off alarms. We can even use the Map to get the kids inside the Chamber." He said excitedly.

Harry, having caught the excitement, sat up. "Yes!

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. No Rest

**Chapter 7: No Rest**

 _*I do not own Harry Potter or any characters therein._

* * *

 _thoughts_

* * *

 **2 September 1997**

It was a typical day, in its normal, typical way for the Lions of Gryffindor…

That is when magic is normal.

 _And mind control, can't forget that mind control has to be normal too._ _Well, it's more like mental/behavioral control…but that's splitting hairs, really._

Harry sighed and ate his breakfast, trying to turn his thoughts off. It was the first morning of classes and he was tired. Getting students from shelters to Kings Cross without overwhelming traffic had been a nightmare, and when that was followed by comforting the newest first year Gryffs all night…well, Harry felt like he hadn't slept in weeks.

 _Sshrt_

 _Shit!_

He yanked his hand to the side in a grimace as he realized he had been reaching for the coffee carafe. _Gods forbid the Boy Wonder drink such a_ Mundane _drink. Oh, no. Only pumpkin slick for the Wizarding World's Golden Boy! Not like I don't hate the shit in the first place, but no! Who cares if I have to knowingly drug myself year after year? At least it's tasty right? Jesus._

He grimaced and took the frosty glass of orange slime from Mya, with a small nod of thanks.

Harry drank it down, spooning food into his mouth immediately after to get the taste out. He was just thankful that no one paid attention to his water bottle usage out in the corridors. As he ate the prefect of the year dropped their schedules in front of them and as they quietly read

 _Sshrt_

A collective groan and grumble could be heard from the Gryffindor table. _Loud and obnoxious is the order for the day, right?_ Complaints about teachers and schedules could be heard over the collective Great Hall din as everyone found something to fill the void with before…

 _Sshrt_

"Why do we always have to have that greasy git Snape first thing?" Ron gibbered through his food stuffed mouth. "I mean really, isn't being here bad enough, but I guess they figure we just can't kick off the bloody year without a good dressing down!"

Mya, looked up from the book in her hand with a grimace. "Language, Ronald!"

Harry just sighed and pushed back from the table after casting a _Tempus._ His lion stirred and he walked down to the first year section, volunteering to show them to their class now since it was a Transfiguration class. They would need some time to get acquainted with the castle, and Harry knew it.

"T-minus 10 Seventh years. I'm escorting the yearlings to the cat's room and shadowing back. I'll be just late enough to cause a ruckus so you can get settled."

They all nodded and set to eating with gusto. He made sure each firstie had their map and left the Hall early in order to meet them outside the Cat's purview. Once they had all arrived he led them to the Transfiguration Wing. He stopped in an alcove and cast a privacy ward.

"Okay guys, I know things have been rough. I know. I've been in your shoes, and they are shitty shoes to have, right?" He laughed at the nods and gasps at his language. "Just know that every time you see a red tie or a Lion crest on a robe, you are not alone. Understand? You will never be alone because Gryffindor House stands together. Always.

"Now, tips for today. Sit in the middle, buddy up and follow whatever the spell pushes you to do. You don't fight. Understand? And you are not allowed to feel ashamed of what you are made to do. Look at me, Famous Harry Potter," he grimaced. "And still, I follow the compulsion when it gets me. Just do what you have to and we'll see you again at lunch. Go to Mya for a pain potion as soon as you do, okay? Your head will probably be hurting by then."

With a head pat for each of them he left the alcove and walked leisurely down the hallway. He waited for a clear section and, once found, dove into a shadow.

He loved Shadow travelling. It was the freedom, the weightlessness of apparition without being squeezed through a child's drinking straw. Shadows were endless, infinite and all encompassing. They did not squeeze but floated the traveler through from one blackness to another until their destination was found.

With a tuck and roll Harry regained his feet and walked from the corner of the dank dungeon hall to the Potions classroom, stealing himself for the next hour. As he approached the door he automatically raised his hand to knock

 _Sshrt_

and yanked the door open instead with a mutter to himself. He looked into the room and moved to the open flame next to Ron, head ducked

 _Sshrt_

Before raising his chin with a defiant smirk. He dropped his bag next to his desk and just barely met the eyes of Snape. He made sure after the Occlumency disaster of the last year and the mind rapes from Dumbledore all year long, to keep a centimeter difference in his gaze.

"10 points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter. It seems you must be _more_ intellectually stilted than previous believed. If you cannot find your way to the same classroom you have come to for 6 _years_ I do believe you may well set a new _low_ in class averages for the year."

Harry grimaced, knowing what was coming next and pinched his thigh in hopes that he could forestall the sarcastic comment and quell the interest stirring in his loins.

 _Sshrt_

"I do try to set the bar high, Sir." He said with a faux grin. _Shit shit shit again._

"That'll be another 5 points for your impertinence, Potter." Harry watched his hands, those long, tapered fingers as they clenched in annoyance. He gave a short nod, and dug out his book for the class with a sigh.

 _Way to go Potter._

* * *

"Potter. Since you seem so intent on drawing the class' attention, tell me: what step will you complete after adding the Tiger Snake Egg shells?"

 _Sshrt_

Hermione's hand rose involuntarily, and Harry fought to say the correct step.

 _Add rose water oil._

 _Sshrt_

 _Sshrt_

 _NO! I will not anger him even more!_

 _Ssssssshrt_

"Apologize to the Tiger Snake Hatchling for disturbing it's home?" He grinned. "Sir."

It was too good, and so, so bad. The Gryffindors laughed with him, Ron patted him on the back and their eyes held fear and worry. The Slytherins just stared at him incredulously, and even a few mirrored the fear for the boy.

"Detention." And with that one word he spun around, robes flaring and stalked to the board. With a groan Harry wondered how 3 syllables, just one measly word could make him so hard.

* * *

 _No rest for weary._

 _That's the saying, right?_ _Whoever put this feeling into words can get shot. Preferably at my hand._

No one needed a "go to phrase" for this madness. Harry covered his head with one arm at the table as he felt the glass vial being placed into his other hand underneath the table. He sighed in relief. Casually dropping his fork, Harry reached behind Mya on his left and brought the potion up and back as quickly as he could. As he sat up he placed it in Mya's bag and closed his eyes as the Pepper-Up Potion went to work.

"I shouldn't have even given it to you Harry James. Do you know how scared you made us? Today was…was a new record!"

He tilted his head slowly and rubbed it against Mya's in apology before going back to his lunch. "Three shocks. Every response I came up with wasn't enough for the damned band."

She frowned at him before grabbing an extra sweet off the center of the table. "Here." She slid it to him in her own apology for what he endured and that was the end of it.

"How's Miles?" Neville asked from across the table to change the topic.

Mya smiled and checked where she knew Miles was sitting at the Hufflepuff table once again. "He's smiling at least, so there's that. I think he's confused that I've talked so negatively of my House—"

 _Sshrt_

She blew air quickly out of her nose, not letting the shock get to her. "—yet here I am seemingly so happy. It's probably a shock for him."

They all nodded in agreement before their faces turned to a glower

 _Sshrt_

Then a neutral mask as McGonagall approached their table. "Mr. Potter. The Headmaster knows you have a free period next. You are to report to his office now."

Harry glared

 _Ssssshrt_

At the woman and stood, leaving his Housemates to their meals without a word. None were needed. Harry left his backpack with his mates, which was his signal to them to prepare for a visit with the All Powerful Coot of Hogwarts.

"Enter."

He hated hearing that. Enter. Such a command. _What if I don't even want to be here? What then? Let me tell you where you can shove that Ent-_

 _Sshrt_

Harry remained silent as he pushed open the door and went to his customary chair front and center of the Headmaster's desk. He watched as the old man tapped his fingers together one by one in front of his chin, just watching. Waiting. But Harry was very good at the waiting game.

Silence was a risk, wasn't it? _And who better to take a risk than the Brave, Fearless Gryffindors!_ He sneered internally at himself. At the rate he was going he'd be committed to the Nut House before he reached the end of his Teen years. _Like they'd let you do something so sedentary as to be committed. Bitch Please._

"Mr. Potter." Harry left his inner dialogue with himself and focused again.

"…Headmaster."

Dumbledore stood, wand twirling between his fingers and a thoughtful look on his face.

" _Crucio."_

He held it for all of 5 seconds, releasing it to watch as Harry gingerly picked himself up from where he had fallen from his chair. "Ah. Now, I have your full attention. I trust you remember where we left off at the end of the year? I have been very lenient with you, dear boy. An entire summer to yourself and with your darling family to keep you company. All the while I have been toiling on our hunt. Now, I expect you to be fully present when you meet with me, or that shall be just an introductory taste to you other lessons."

Dumbledore turned to his cabinetry and missed the pure hatred in Harry's eyes. There was a legitimate reason Harry left his things behind during these meetings: he didn't want to kill Dumbledore or McGonagall while the _Moribus_ still held House Gryffindor hostage.

Any number of implements inside his backpack could kill the felonious man before him, in any number of ways, but he would not tempt himself before an escape was found.

The minute it was broken?

 _Bye bastard._

"Now that you're sufficiently returned to the appropriate frame of mind, I suggest you keep it in place, and your tongue quiet. I will make sure Minerva asks for you again later this week when I have need of you. You may go."

* * *

Harry knocked on the heavy wood door before him with a hand still trembling with shock and nerve damage. He'd done his best to hide the trauma during the day with a potion and distractionary techniques, but time was grating on him. It had been too long without a restful night's sleep, and it would not come to him for some time yet.

"Enter."

He obeyed and pushed the door open, slipping in the small opening and walking

 _Sshrt_

Sauntering up to Snape's desk. He sat on the stool in front of the barrel in the center of the room, recognizing the task set before him.

 _Ugh. Frogs again._

"Aah, it seems you've deigned me once again with your presence, Mr. Potter. I don't believe I have to explain the menial task before you, but that would be assuming you have any space in that arrogant head of yours for useful knowledge. I am not an optimistic person, so I will explain once again." He scowled down at the young man before him, taking note of the tremor in his fingers and a fine sheen of glamour surrounding him.

"You will take each amphibian from the container and get them, carefully checking for eggs and livers in females and hearts and spleens in males. You will remove those organs and put them in these marked receptacles. You will not ask for a break, nor receive one until I give you leave…which will not be for hours yet. Begin."

With that, Severus turned his back and moved to his potion stores. Grabbing a nerve draught and pepper up potion he mixed the two into a glass of water with a snarl. Damned weak child. Without knowing what was going on he had no recourse to protect the selfish imbecile.

Without saying a word he left the glass on the desk holding the finished product receptacles and went back to his desk to grade the pop quizzes he had given the OWL students earlier that day.

* * *

 _The hell?_

Harry stared at the glass in confusion, but, trusting his gut, took a hold of it and sipped slowly. He could taste potions in the tinged water, but without…

 _Oh. Pepper-up. Sweet merlin._

He knew something else was in the water, but it wasn't until the fine trembling in his fingers receded that he realized just what it was. He wondered how and why Snape knew to give him the potions, but decided that asking questions wasn't in his best interest. He gulped the remaining water down over the course of the evening, letting the small boosts bolster his activities and renew his strength for the remainder of the night to come.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter are not in chronological order becaus I have been dying to share this particular chapter. It is the first one I wrote, and started the shoot off from TPH.**


	8. Horcrux Hunting

**Horcrux Hunting**

 **5 September 1997**

* * *

Dumbledore waited until Friday to call again.

 _Two blissful days without the Headmaster's loving presence. How silly of me to think he'd forgotten about me._

Again, Harry left his backpack with his team and made his way up to the Headmaster's office, entering once given leave.

"Ah, here my boy, do come. I have secured our portkey to the Gaunt Cottage. I have a wonderful feeling we shall find a Horcrux within. Grab hold, now."

His lion growled lowly at the command, but he kept his face placid. "I can't, Professor. I have Charms in two hours, and I don't think we'll be finished by then."

"Oh dear, well, I believe that will cause a problem. _Crucio."_ He said evenly in his way. The concerned, grandfatherly voice was gone, reserved for those who didn't know any better.

Harry refused to scream. He let himself fall to his knees, back rounded and stiff with the pain as he curled in on himself. He held himself together for 10…15…20 seconds under the damnable sensations…like needles piercing every nerve ending he had…then slicing him open. Baring his soul to the pain he didn't think would ever end…and stabbing there too.

"Now then. I think you shall need watch your mouth more carefully, Mr. Potter. It was quite selfish of you to disrupt our plans. Nevertheless this is more important that a Charms lesson. You will come with me, my boy." He commanded, looking over those half moon glasses like a librarian to a book thief, an exterminator to a bug. No mercy, no compassion, only the oppressive look from Master to slave or owner to tool.

Dumbledore held the black scarf to Harry and waited as the boy touched the odious garment before they were wrenched away. Not a word was spoken until they touched down at Gaunt Cottage.

* * *

Derelict.

That was the word that crossed Harry's mind as he scanned the old forgotten building before him. He could tell it has probably once been a spectacular guest cottage or Mother-in-Law's suite, but its prime had passed ages ago.

He watched as Dumbledore waved his wand, a spell muttered under his breath for a few moment. it seemed to be a long spell, complete with one of the most complex wand motions he had seen in some time. Harry assumed he was casting runes in the air, but since he was only learning runes from within the Den in his spare moments he couldn't be sure.

Finally, Dumbledore paused and thrust a vial of glowing green potion at him from the pocket of his blinding robes. Harry took it warily, not keen on a mental shock or cruciatus round when he wasn't sure what would lie beyond the front door. He'd been on many Horcrux Hunts, most to no avail or dead ends, but this one felt different. He could feel that same nasty energy from the house as he got from the locket and cup, but magnified.

"Swallow it, then go inside the house and find the artifact."

"Just like that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow then a grimace as

 _Sshrt_

the feedback struck. Dumbledore simply smirked.

"Of course not, you will need to counter some spells, but are you not the Savior for a reason?"

 _Yea, because you started that shit._

 _"_ What's life without a little danger, eh? Now, drink the potion, which will enable you to pass through the wards around the house. _"_ He handed a blue potion over. "Pour this over the Horcrux to eliminate the soul bond. Once that is done, call for me and I will retrieve the artifact."

Seeing no way around the hunt, Harry threw back the potion in lieu of answering and stalked forward, taking in every aspect of his surroundings to keep from gagging at the vile taste. He felt the shiver of ice and death crawl down his spine as he walked through the wards, keen on finding the blasted Horcrux and leaving.

Dust covered every surface within the building. There was old furniture and trash all over the entry room that lead right into a den of sorts. Harry knew just from the vibe that this was the room he needed to focus on. While others would hide a valuable artifact deep within a house filled with traps in every room,Voldemort was haughty. He preferred to hide in plain sight and rely on his magical prowess and spell repertoire.

Harry stopped and felt out through the room with his senses,slowly narrowing his search down to a floorboard in the back right corner of the room behind the chaise lounge. slowly he approached, wand out and in his right hand, the blue potion in the left.

Harry grabbed a cigarette butt from the nasty table to his left and flicked it near the floorboards he believed to hold the Horcrux.

Nothing.

Systematically he picked up more objects and tossed them at the floorboards until he found the one holding the dark magic.

He hoped his potion would get him through these wards as well as he watched the fourth cigarette butt he'd thrown catch fire.

 _Shitballs. Here goes nothing._

Slowly Harry moved forward, until he hit the edge of the wards and slid within them, sighing in relief when nothing happened to his body. He crouched down and pulled a longer dagger from his leg, using it to pry the rotting boards up around the Horcrux. He used the same dagger to uncover an onyx ring from within a bed of deep green velvet cloth.

Harry stared, entranced, at the beautiful ring before him. He noticed the markings on it with mindless interest, but it wasn't until he saw his hand enter his line of vision that he came back to himself.

 _Bollocks! Way to stay alert, genius._

Quickly, Harry bit the cork keeping the vial sealed and poured it over the ring with a curious look in his eye. He was prepared for the sizzling sound, guessing that was due to the dissolving of the soulbond within the Horcrux. What he was not prepared for was the screaming, a damaged eardrum and a shadowy mist of the recently freed soul shard to billow over him menacingly.

He scrambled back on his hands and feet, crab walking back to get away from the mist following him, screams of his friends and family, hs hatchlings and yearlings echoing inside his head. Accusations from tiny voices of how they'd been left, forgotten by him for his power hungry way.

All around him ghostly vision of children he's lost throughout the years surrounded him.

 _"Why? Why did you let me die?"_ Anemarie.

 _"You let them kill me!"_ Marcus.

 _"This is your fault! You never protected me."_ Sarahbeth.

 _"You let this happen, big brother."_

It was this last voice, the voice he so longed to hear that cut through his heart the deepest.

Cyrus.

He watched as the shade of his Cyrus bared fangs at him and jumped forward. Harry flinched, and brought his hands up, shocked as the shade stopped, impaled upon the dagger in his hand. It stared at him, wide eyed before croaking,

" _You killed me._ "

Cyrus and the others began chanting over and over, droning on, _"You killed me."_

Harry scrambled up to his knees, dropping the dagger before him,hissing as it nicked his palm on the way down. He griped his head in his hands, trying to drown out the voices in his head.

"No. No. No! It wasn't me. I tried to protect you all. I did the best I could! I did. No. This isn't real. THIS ISN'T REAL!" He finally screamed, and something within him reacted, his magic whirling around him. It spun out and around like a vortex, picking up objects and dust from around the room and spinning out of control as the voices increased, a cacophony of sound vibrating within his skull. He could feel the flying object hitting him, but could not focus on anything but the accusations filling his head.

With one last burst of energy and emotional pain, Harry looked up, staring down the Cyrus shade. "You are not REAL! You are not mine! BE GOOOONE!"

Harry flung his arm out, like he was sweeping the air freeo a bug, and watched as the bloodied dagger he'd held flew with the motion and embedded itself in Cyrus' chest. Suddenly, the room went silent and quiet, leaving Harry the sole occupant of the decrepit room. He was still for a few long moments before quickly, desperately crawling forward to peer into the hole in the floor.

He wasn't sure what to expect, but the broken jewel ofthe ring separated from the ring base, both quiescent and mundane, was not it. He reached in carefully and grabbed to onyx jewel that seemed to call for him. It didn't feel dark to him, so he felt safe in following his own instincts once more.

With a quick look at it Harry decided to stick it in the semi-illegal extending pocket within his cloak before calling to Dumbledore, feigning more weakness that he felt as adrenaline pumped through his body.

He pushed himself back to lean against the wall as Dumbledore rushed in faster than anyone would think him capable at his ancient age. Harry watched as Dumbledore reached in without a care and pulled the ring out, eyeing it with a disappointed glare.

"Where is the rest of it?"

"Huh?" Harry panted, affecting a bewildered look.

"Don't play dumb, boy. Where is the rest of the ring?"

"How should...I know? I did what...you said. It musta..dissolved or some...something." He said, licking his dry and cracked lips. He could feel blood trickling from various cuts over his body, and a true weakness come over him as the adrenaline left his system little by little.

" _Crucio._ " Dumbledore growled out. "Tell me what you did!"

* * *

It was a tired, shivering, defeated Harry that walked back into the Lion's Den that night. It was late, too late for students to be out of beds, but still he watched as his friends moved forward to catch him as he stumbled through the portrait entrance. They could hear the Fat Lady tut tutting about the look of him as they moved into position. Dean and Seamus grabbed his arms as he gave over to the blackness.

The two boys braced him as Ron moved Harry over his shoulder and fireman carried him into their healing room. He felt a warm, sticky liquid seep through his shirt in the back and grimaced, calling for a med team. With help, they eased their Alpha to the med cot and with a quick _Divesto_ laid him bare to their impassioned gazes.

Heather moved into position without question and began diagnostics while Hermione ran for potions, mainly Blood Restoratives, Essence of Dittany, and Bruise Salves.

"What else do we need?"

"Dreamless Sleep, Nerve Regenerator Draught and Skele-Gro, he's got a broken rib!"

Hermione felt a whine in the back of her throat at the knowledge that her Alpha was hurt, but shook it off and grabbed the potions and ran to the bed. "Here. Delegate."

"Ron, Dean right shoulder is dislocated. Put it in. Mya left side laceration. Sutures and Dittany. Ginny contusions at his head need healing and bruise salve. Neville I need a steady hand to measure potions. Two lines Skele, three lines blood replen, one line dreamless, 2 lines of Nerve and keep the salves open to reach room temp. Colin, you got the photo evidence?"

"Aye. Developing now and going into the files."

Heather nodded and wiped her arm over her forehead. "Right. I have traces of Dark magic all over him and especially on his hands. Ideas?"

"Is it hurting him?" Dennis asked Seamus, unsure of what to do as a pure White wizard. Seamus, a Dark affinity magic user just turned his sight back to his Alpha and began feeling.

Seamus closed his eyes and reached out tentatively with his magic before grabbing Dean's hand. Dean was his compliment in magic, and their twin bond helped them in casting simultaneously. As Seamus identified intent Dean cast to counter with their link they shared a vast knowledge of Light and Dark curses and counters.

Slowly everyone in the room let out a breath they knew they were holding, yet couldn't release. Seamus gave the "all good" signal and the occupants of the room moved again to pouring potions and administering healing magics. Ginny, having finished with her area began doling out the bruise healing salve. At this point, knowing Harry was out of danger, the application of salves became a familiar, mind-numbing task.

It wasn't an everyday occurrence for Harry, to end up unconscious on this cot…but neither was it rare. The Lions of Gryffindor all knew: when Harry left his backpack, his bed in the Medi-wing should be prepared for the worst-case scenario. While this was not the worst condition he had returned in, it was far from ideal.

With a sigh, Heather administered the last potion and moved to the sinks to wash her hands. She knew, mentally, that a _Scourgify_ would do, but there was something soothing about the repetitive motions inherent in cleansing one's hands of blood and whatever other materials had gathered. She grew up without enough clean water and refused to deny herself the feel of the pure cleanliness of it now.

Finishing, she wiped her hands clean and took a blue crystal from her recording box. She sent the others to wash up as she began giving Harry the potions and marking her documentation.

She opened Harry's lower jaw gently, the vial of Dreamless Sleep hovering over his lip when he jerked and grabbed her wrist.

"No." Harry croaked through parched lips. "No Dreamless. 'M fine."

Heather, too tired to fight this battle with her Alpha, just nodded. "Blood Replenisher." He nodded and opened his mouth voluntarily, swallowing the metallic tasting liquid when she pulled away.

"Next is Nerve Regenerator Draught." He swallowed it dutifully. "And last one, Skele-gro. Only one rib this time." They repeated the process once more, though with a few more shudders. "I've got to document this, Harry."

She sat next to her brother's head and stroked his hair as her magic reached out and prepared the gem. He stayed silent.

"Mark. 2 September 1997, 23:56 hours. Patient: Harry James Potter, Alpha. Entered Medi-wing unconscious and assisted by Beta Ronald Weasley. Superficial injuries include contusions and lacerations on cranium and facial region. Dislocated right shoulder. Three 6 to 7 centimeter lacerations to left side. Right 6th rib sustained clean break. Nerves show evidence of damage via Cruciatus exposure. Damage to right ear drum.

"Traces of Dark magic found surrounding hands and cranium. Patient was given Essence of Dittany, three lines of Blood Replenishing Potion, two lines of Skele-Gro and one line of Dreamless Sleep in addition to Bruise Salve. Dark magic eradicated from hands by Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. Patient is conscious and will be checked every two hours by house elves until morning. Mark."

As she watched the blue crystal's glow dim she leaned forward and took Harry's hand in her own, finally allowing herself time to feel scared. Heather knew the others were feeling similarly. The calm after healing led to a significant drop as the adrenaline left their bodies. The crash was harsh after the tiring Monday they had spent moving in not only themselves but all of their shelter comrades, followed by a week of acclimating back to Hogwarts life and classes.

Now this.

"Jac-," Harry couldn't finish for coughing, with further aggravated his abused throat. He let Heather worry over him before pointing to his jacket in a pile by his bedside, sighing when it was handed to him and he stuck his hand in the pocket lethargically to find the onyx gem. His fingers curled around it happily and Harry finally let himself drift off.

No rest for the weary indeed.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


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